2016 Three-Bridge Fiasco Buzz

[TinkerSSS]

Saturday was a lot of fun. Thank you to all the SSS organizers. I know how much you all do to make these races happen.

Here's my collection of photo's and videos on Google+. https://plus.google.com/photos/11638...42594457781585 Please excuse the monologue talking into the camera. I hope you all find it funny. I tried to record a bit at each of the marks.

That last bit of wind at the finish was an unexpected bonus. I wish I could swim upstream like a Can O Wopass along the S.F. waterfront. WTG! Richard & Paul. I'm just happy when I can finish the race but to finish within sight of the Can, with a bunch of other small boats around me, was Great!

Cheers,

Matt

[Gamayun]

Good on Kynntana, very nice showing!

The Olson 34 fleet, not so much!

Thank you, David! My strategy this year was to not have any strategy. And it worked Perhaps this is the key to TBF? At least it might look that way till next year when they scramble all the locks again. Sigh.

I appreciate the RC calling for that wind break, too. I took the time to take a potty break after rounding Red Rock by a few yards, but I first called over to the leeward boat to watch out because my AP went on the blink that morning. It was reading 70 deg off the compass heading. WTF?! At least I could sorta lock the steering wheel, but that wasn't holding in the higher winds. Next boat project...

[Daydreamer]

Here are a few more photos from the race.

[Lanikai]

So much radness on Saturday. Just when the fees, rules, and other red tape has me thinking I should avoid these racy waters and point my bow back toward clewless croozers' bay, I'm reminded of how great these SSS races are.

I learned just how poorly my boat and I point by seeing how much better other boats point (including that other Cal 2-27, ya know, with TWO people aboard!).
I set a spinnaker for the first time since I was a ten-year-old in a wooden dinghy. Singlehanded. On a 7000 lb boat. During a race. During a race with 300+ other boats (nearly all of whom were miles ahead, but that's beside the point).
I saw Nancy keep a safe distance while her skipper cast an avuncular stare that said "hey bud, you're doing it wrong, but you probably know that and you're singlehanded so I won't scold you as I speed by to windward, but please handle your business" as my spin pole swung helplessly in the breeze after I realized it was neither the time nor place to be flying a spinnaker.
I had time during the Red Rock wind hole to eat, drink, use the head, and send pics of January sailing action to snow-bound family members on the east coast.
I thought about how little I know of what a race committee does, and how I'll volunteer to help at least once this year. Thank you!

[DaveH]

oh, there I am.... I like the moody back lit effect.
looking at my jib trim, its about right for my day... I started with my 3 for manueverability and visibility, but that left me under wicked for the whole day.
Was doing OK sailing even with Chris and Max around Blackhaller and across to Marin.
All good, but then I stepped on the wrong side of the current line near Lime Point. SOG went from the low 5's to the low 2's; Chris and Max sailed rapidly away toward Racoon; and a wall of sails from the later starters choked off the breeze.
ah well.
Fantastic day of knocking the rust off, and at least I ended with the correct sail...
DH

[Philpott]

I learned just how poorly my boat and I point by seeing how much better other boats point (including that other Cal 2-27, ya know, with TWO people aboard!).

Hey, Adam! I believe that is an oblique reference to Dura Mater. If she pointed well on Saturday I can assure you it was because of my tactician, Paul Boehmke. Did you notice how, after starting brilliantly, we almost floated back over the starting line? I started hyperventilating: "Oh no! No! No!" Paul, ever the gentleman, looked at me over his reading glasses and asked, "May I?" Then he uncleated the portside jib sheet, the wind filled it, and we were off. Off to Blackaller, where we circled to starboard immediately after a doublehanded J-22 had circled it to port with panache. The doublehanders seemed to be a father and young son, which should encourage more sailors to include their parents in the fun. We watched as some fast boats headed west to circle Angel Island counterclockwise. But it was 1.5 hours past the ebb. Why would we do that when we had wind? After all, Kami said "go for the wind", right? So we did. And we had two spinnakers ready to fly all day. Just as we began to raise the first at the entrance to Raccoon Straits, the wind clocked 'round to our beam. The sail through Raccoon Straits was a delight, the slow sail up to Red Rock less so, but we were still moving. Time for lunch and cookies and coffee. As we circled Red Rock slowly slowly I prepared to raise the spinnaker again. After all, the wind was from the north. We were excited. Finally between Richmond and the Rock, we raised the red spinnaker. It filled. We smiled. Then the wind clocked around and it drifted back into the spreaders. All day Dura Mater was in the wrong place at the wrong time for a spinnaker. So, lucky you, Lanikai, and good for you to fly a spinnaker during a race! Singlehanded, no less! It was so good to see you out there! I think this photo was taken by Max Crittenden.

[BobJ]

Did Paul enjoy himself? Despite kidding you about double-handing, I think it was stellar of you to invite him along.

[Wylieguy]

Adam, Actually the guy on the Wyliecat was lost in memories as he passed you Saturday morning - sort of reliving the past. The year I won the Vallejo 1-2 in my Santana 22 "Elaine" I spent a lot of San Pablo Bay singlehanding with my spinny pole hanging out. The day began light (as usual) so I hanked on the 150 and had the spinnaker set up for a starboard pole. It was flooding, so out everyone went from the Oly Circle to the current, under the Richmond Bridge, around the corner at Pt. San Pablo and into San Pablo Bay.

I hoisted and the chute filled. Then about 20 minutes later strange things began to happen with the wind. It went from SW to S to SE in about 2 minutes. As you know 2 minutes isn't much time when you're alone. I managed to get the spinnaker down with only half of it dragging in the water and the Genoa hoisted, but now I had way too much headsail and spinnaker gear was flopping in the wind and because the boat was overpowered the autohelm wouldn't keep the rudder in the water. Luckily the wind held and I didn't have to tack until about the middle part of the shipping channel. By that time I'd managed to drop the pole so the outer end landed on the boat and the wind speed dropped to where the autohelm could control things. I crawled up, got the pole and spinny gear off. I also hanked on the class jib under the genoa so I could get it up if i had to.

In a Tuna I was always way back in the pack, so had no idea. After I got to the VYC, got the boat rafted up, got the boat cleaned up, and walked up to the clubhouse everyone else had been up there for what seemed like hours. I walked in and someone said, "Congratulations!"

So, Saturday I was reliving the singlehanded experience. That one ended well. There's another story of coming back from the Farallones in my Newport 30 in the dark with pole hanging out there in conditions too rough for me to leave the cockpit. So, Saturday I was reliving several singlehanded experiences.

[Lanikai]

Thanks, Pat, glad I could rekindle fond memories, but I hope next time my boat and I behave well enough that no one notices! Especially looking forward to the run down to VYC in October now that I almost figured out how to fly this thing.

That reference above was in fact very acute, Jackie! Was glad to see one of our two boats heading in the right direction after the start. Had such trouble getting to and acoss the line, I thought I might end up on the rocks in front of the GGYC. That would have been something. And having two spinnakers ready to go, that would be a lot of sail area... There happened to be a perfectly sized spinnaker sock at Minneys when I bought my unused-used spinnaker, and despite the extra rigging I think I like it. After a lucky inaugural spinnaker outing I can't imagine how I'll sail downwind again without it. Wraps, broaches, death rolls...maybe I need a reality check via youtube spinnaker fail videos.
It's hard to tell from the photos, but is your jib sheeted inboard of your shrouds?

By the way, speaking of starting lines, isn't there some rule about keeping the starting area clear? Seemed like I had to negotiate a lot of boats just west of the starting line, boats that clearly weren't set to start until much later.

[Gamayun]

...By the way, speaking of starting lines, isn't there some rule about keeping the starting area clear? Seemed like I had to negotiate a lot of boats just west of the starting line, boats that clearly weren't set to start until much later.

Funny you should say this. Trying to navigate that scrum of boats again was the main reason I took off for Angel Island rather than crawl back up along the city front. In retrospect, that sissified decision turned out to be a good move